Minister Announces Intention to Host Digital 9 Meeting in Ireland

The Minister of State for Trade, Employment, Business, EU Digital Single Market and Data Protection, Pat Breen TD, has announced his intention to host the Digital 9 (D9) meeting in Ireland in 2018. The announcement came prior to the 2017 meeting, which is currently being held in Stockholm, Sweden.

The D9 group is made up of digital frontrunner countries comprising Ireland and Nordic, Benelux and Baltic states and focuses on delivering strategic oversight on the optimal application of digital policy. Minister Breen is leading an Irish delegation to this year’s meeting in Stockholm, which will discuss issues including the challenges of digital society today, the future of work, online platforms and the European Commission’s proposal on the free flow of data.

Speaking prior to the meeting, Minister Breen said: “In addition to the difference it makes to our everyday lives, digitisation provides huge economic opportunities. I am firmly of the view that a stronger and more coherent Digital Single Market is essential to boost jobs and economic growth in all regions across Europe, to open new growth opportunities for our SMEs and to ensure our global competitiveness”

The EU Digital Single Market Strategy has the goal of adapting current Single Market rules to reflect the realities of a twenty-first century digital environment. The Strategy is made up of 16 initiatives, comprising cross-Government legislative and non-legislative measures.

Minister Breen added: “Our active engagement in the Digital Single Market is an enabler of Ireland’s digital economy. The D9 Group provides an important forum through which the best practice and knowledge of like-minded member countries can be shared to greater effect. In this regard, I look forward to hosting a meeting of the D9 Group in 2018. This will underscore Ireland’s commitment to the digital agenda”.